Woman's Hour

Epizode

• Medical school misogyny, Wales’ fastest woman, Marilyn Monroe, HIV & AIDS 02.06.2026 57min

  A newly qualified doctor Charlotte Buttercase, has said she was subjected to repeated sexual harassment and intimidation while studying medicine at the University of Manchester. 32 other female students have now come forward to report similar abuse. Charlotte tells Nuala McGovern why she has waived her right to anonymity and written an open letter to the university to request a formal review of sexism within the School of Medical Sciences. More than 1000 women have added their signatures. Sprinter Hannah Brier holds the Welsh 100m record, and last week became the fastest Welsh woman of all time. She broke her country's long-standing 200m record running it at 22.79 seconds at the Stratford Speed Grand Prix in London. But that time was just a few days after the Team Wales deadline for selection for this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. She explains to Nuala how missing out on the chance to compete at the games pushed her to prove herself all over again. Is Marilyn Monroe still a name that needs no introduction? Fans were marking her 100th birthday yesterday so we ask why her legacy still endures almost 64 years after her death and what she means to women today. Nuala is joined by Ellen E Jones, a film critic and the presenter of a new radio documentary on BBC Sounds called 'Bombshell: Five Faces of Marilyn Monroe', and Sarah Churchwell, professor of American Literature at the University of London and the author of 'The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe'.Tenderness and Rage, and the juxtaposition of these contrasting emotions is at the heart of a new exhibition at the Wellcome Collection. It explores the history of HIV from the AIDS epidemic of the 80s and 90s to today. We see stories of protest and of tender care through photography, film and objects belonging to those who faced these illnesses when so little was known about how to treat or survive them. Angelina Namiba was one of them. She was diagnosed with HIV in 1993, and at first, thought it was a death sentence. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Helen Fitzhenry
• Gisèle Pelicot, Women's Tennis, Osteoporosis, Zoe Birkett 01.06.2026 56min

  In 2024 Gisèle Pelicot waved her legal right to anonymity for the trial of her then husband, declaring that shame has to change sides. Her then husband had drugged and raped her and invited other men to rape her, filming as they did so. He was found guilty of her aggravated rape, along with 46 other men. Another two were found guilty of attempted rape and a further two were found guilty of sexual assault. Gisèle has now written her memoir, A Hymn to Life and joins Nuala McGovern talk about her decision to have an open court, the devasting effect on her and her family of her ex-husband’s actions and finding love again in her 70s.For the first time since 2023, a women’s match will take centre stage in the tournament’s primetime night session at the French Open. The coveted slot has been dominated exclusively by men's matches since then. The absence has drawn growing criticism from players and fans, questioning why they’ve been overlooked. But now, a fourth round clash between – Belarus's Aryna Sabalenka current number one player and former number 1 Japan's Naomi Osaka finally breaks that run. Tennis reporter Karthi Gnanasegaram joins us.72% of those affected by osteoporosis are women. The government promised to roll out fracture liaison services to every NHS Trust in England two years ago. But there is still no progress or plan. Just over half of NHS Trusts currently have them. Nuala speaks to the Royal Osteoporosis Society CEO Craig Jones and expert Dr Nicola Peel, as well as Irene Baker who says her osteoporosis wasn't treated properly for five years as she has no specialist service in her area.She came to fame on one of the first TV talent shows back in 2002, and twenty four years later Zoe Birkett’s now out on tour with Take That. She’s played Tina Turner in the West End and the lead in The Bodyguard. She tells us all about performing with Gary, Howard and Mark and stepping into Lulu’s shoes on their hit record Relight My Fire for their tour The Circus Live.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty Starkey
• Weekend Woman's Hour: Rugby star Ellie Kildunne, Kimberlé Crenshaw 30.05.2026 57min

  World Rugby Player of the Year and World Cup Champion Ellie Kildunne joins Nuala McGovern fresh from a Player of the Match performance at the Six Nations final. She reflects on her rise to the top and the story behind her memoir Game Changer.What are the implications for girls and young women of Alan Milburn's review for the Government into rising levels of inactivity among 16 to 24-year-olds? There are currently just under a million young people in this age range dubbed NEETs because they are not in education, employment or training. Anita Rani speaks to Baroness Smith, Minister for Skills, as well as the Minister for Women and Equalities.As part of our special programme on wonder — how to find it and how to hold on to it when life gets in the way —Nuala speaks to Dr Jean Bennett, the research scientist whose medical breakthrough recently restored the sight of a six-year-old girl.Would you ever consider working from your bed? Perhaps you do, by choice or otherwise? Dermatologist Dr Alexis Granite and The Archers Podcast's Emma Freud are both fans and join Anita to discuss. When the American Professor of Law Kimberlé Crenshaw was five years old, at the time of the civil rights era in Ohio, USA, she was allowed to portray a witch but not a princess in a nursery play. Puzzled by her teacher’s behaviour, Kimberlé spoke up and never stopped, firmly establishing herself as a Backtalker, the name of her new memoir. Kimberlé joins Anita to talk about becoming a pioneering scholar and writer on civil rights and her instinct to question power and challenge what others accept as fair.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor
• Baroness Jacqui Smith, Global manosphere, Working from bed 29.05.2026 57min

  What are the implications for girls and young women of Alan Milburn's review for the Government into rising levels of inactivity among 16 to 24-year-olds? There are currently just under a million young people in this age range dubbed NEETs because they are not in education, employment or training. Anita Rani speaks to former Labour Home Secretary Baroness Smith, now Minister for Skills, as well as Minister for Women and Equalities. A BBC investigation looks at on the global expansion of the manosphere and the social media algorithms which are driving young men towards increasingly extreme views on gender, relationships and masculinity. BBC Global Disinformation reporter Jacqui Wakefield examines the rise of two of the most influential manosphere figures in Latin American and Africa – El Temach in Mexico and, Andrew Kibe in Kenya. She joins Anita to tell her what it was like spending time with these influencers and about the women living with the real-life consequences of their influence. Would you ever consider working from your bed? Perhaps you do, by choice or otherwise? Dermatologist Dr Alexis Granite and The Archers Podcast's Emma Freud are both fans and join Anita. Jodi Kantor is a Pulitzer-prize winning investigative journalist. In October 2017 she - alongside her colleague Megan Twohey - published a groundbreaking exposé in the New York Times detailing decades of sexual abuse allegations against the former film producer Harvey Weinstein - which galvanised the global MeToo movement. Jodi is back with a new book: How to Start, which is all about how to launch a career in uncertain times. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Corinna Jones
• Ukrainian Drone Pilot, Young women NEETs, Kimberlé Crenshaw 28.05.2026 57min

  The role of women is growing in Ukraine’s war effort, from military recruitment to frontline drone warfare. Anita Rani talks to 'Morva,' a female combat drone pilot who, aged 25, is fighting Russian forces on the front line and Olesia Horiainova, Deputy Director of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Centre - a think tank that works in military recruitment - about how women, and not just Ukrainian women, are getting involved in the fight to defend the country.Alan Milburn, the former Labour health secretary says there's a risk of a "lost generation" in the UK, unless urgent action is taken to ensure more young people are either earning or learning. He's the author of a government-commissioned interim report titled Young People and Work that's released today. To look at what this means for women Anita talks to Kate Nightingale, the campaigns director at Young Women's Trust which champions for young women on low or no pay. When the American Professor of Law, Kimberlé Crenshaw was five years old, at the time of the civil rights era in Ohio, USA, she was allowed to portray a witch but not a princess in a nursery play. Puzzled by her teacher’s behaviour, Kimberlé spoke up and never stopped, firmly establishing herself as a Backtalker, the name of her new memoir. Kimberlé joins Anita to talk about becoming a pioneering scholar and writer on civil rights and her instinct to question power and challenge what others accept as fair.A new retrospective of the late Indian artist Mrinalini Mukherjee, a modernist sculptor, has opened at The Hepworth Wakefield in Yorkshire. Called Mrinalini Mukherjee: Unbound Forms - Women Sculptors of India and Bangladesh, it presents her art alongside that by other sculptors from India and Bangladesh, including her own mother, and explores the impact of South Asian women. Anita talks to the exhibition's curator Tarini Malik and the artist and close friend of Mrinalini’s, Bharti Kher. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rebecca Myatt
• Rugby star Ellie Kildunne, Abuse scandal update, Women at GCHQ, Kamille 27.05.2026 54min

  World Rugby Player of the Year and World Cup Champion Ellie Kildunne joins Nuala McGovern fresh from a Player of the Match performance at the Six Nations final. She reflects on her rise to the top and the story behind her memoir Game Changer.It's 15 years since Panorama exposed the scandal of abuse of people with learning difficulties and autism at Winterbourne View assessment and treatment centre. One mother, Ann Earley, tells us about the lasting damage to her son from his time at Winterbourne View. He now has a bungalow of his own but Ann says thousands of others like him still in hospitals must be allowed out. Another mother tells us how her daughter has been stuck in hospital for seven years. Jackie O Sullivan from the charity Mencap explains how the new mental health act, which is designed to stop this, may prove inadequate. It took more than a hundred years for the UK's largest spy agency GCHQ to get a woman at the helm. In post since April 2023 Anne Keast-Butler gives her inaugural annual lecture at Bletchley Park setting out the threats she thinks the UK faces and the measures she believes are needed to confront them. Dan Sabbagh, the defence and security editor at the Guardian and Professor Ciaran Martin, the former Chief Executive and founder of the National Cyber Security Centre which is part of GCHQ. discuss and analyse what she will do to encourage women in the field.Singer, songwriter and producer Kamille is one of the UK’s most successful hitmakers, with two Grammy Awards, a Brit, an Ivor Novello and six UK number ones to her name. She’s worked with artists including Dua Lipa, Kylie, The Saturdays, Stormzy and Fred Again and became known as ‘the fifth member’ of Little Mix while writing some of the girl band’s biggest hits. After being honoured with the Inspiration Award by the Music Producers Guild for her impact on the music industry, she discusses how she went from junior stockbroker to songwriter extraordinaire and is now forging a career as a solo artist.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Melanie Abbott
• Nursery fees, Linda Bassett, Maria Semple 26.05.2026 57min

  Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has urged the competition watchdog to look into hidden extra charges some parents have encountered when trying to access Government-funded childcare. The Department for Education said 'too many' parents have reported being asked to pay extra to secure a place – including waiting list deposits, compulsory add-ons or additional hours to access what they are entitled to. So what impact is this having on parents? Joeli Brearley, founder of Growth Spurt and a campaigner for working parents, explains to Nuala McGovern.Young people want more age-specific protections for online spaces, according to new research from the Ada Lovelace Institute. Aged between 14 and 24, those who took part in the Nuffield Foundation’s Grown up? Journeys into adulthood programme – say they want to make sure future generations are not exposed to the same online harms they have experienced. Octavia Field Reid, Associate Director of Public Participation at the Ada Lovelace Institute, discusses their findings.Care for the elderly, whether in hospital, a specialised residential setting, or a person’s own home, is one of our most pressing social issues. Not regularly looked at by the entertainment industry, a new play is addressing this topic. Most familiar in her role as Phyllis Crane in Call the Midwife, we hear from Linda Bassett who plays Joan - an unwilling new arrival in a decidedly unglamorous care home in CARE, now on stage at the Young Vic in London. Maria Semple is the bestselling author of books including Where’d You Go, Bernadette, which was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize. Her latest novel, Go Gentle, focuses on Adora Hazzard - a Stoic philosopher and divorcee living on New York City’s Upper West Side. She has a job as a moral tutor for an old money family. She is assembling a ‘coven’ of like-minded single women living on the 6th floor of the legendary Ansonia building. But then a chance encounter with a charming stranger threatens her joyfully curated life. She joins Nuala to discuss the idea of ‘invisible’ women who are just getting started. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty Starkey
• Women and Wonder 25.05.2026 55min

  We're putting our head in the clouds and going in search of wonder. How do we find it and how do we keep hold of it when life gets in the way?We know that women still hold the lion’s share of caring responsibilities and typically carry the mental load for home, often on top of work. How do we make space for the perspective that wonder gives us, when we’re distracted by the perpetual to do list? And can a sense of wonder, with its built-in inspiration and aspiration, help us see beyond the day-to-day? To lead us on this quest we have an eclectic mix of wonder-women: the award-winning children’s author and academic, Katherine Rundell, evolutionary biologist and explorer, Ella Al-Shamahi, the environmentalist-turned-musician Natalie Fée and Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, computer scientist and former ‘wunder-kind’. We’ll also hear from Dr. Jean Bennett, the research scientist whose medical breakthrough recently restored the sight of a six-year-old girl. And joining us from New York, Jenette Khan, the first ever female boss of the Wonder Woman-publisher, DC Comics.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty McQuire
• Weekend Woman’s Hour: Dawn French, Alexis Ohanian, Ladies loos on stage 24.05.2026 28min

  Comedian, actor and writer Dawn French is best known as one half of one of the UK’s most successful comedy double acts, and as the fictional vicar Geraldine Granger. She’s also a bestselling author, and her latest book, Enough, is her fifth novel — her eighth book in total. It blends dark humour with some tougher themes she thinks are important to explore. She joined Nuala to discuss.Best known as the co-founder of Reddit, Alexis Ohanian is now turning his focus to the future of women’s sport. Once overlooked and underfunded, it is now undergoing rapid change. Alexis is today announcing he's bringing his all-female track and field meet series, Athlos, to London. He tells Anita Rani why, and talks about being married to one of the most successful and well known sports stars of all time - Serena Williams.We discuss a new play that unfolds entirely in the ladies loos. April Hope Miller wrote and performs in ‘Flush’, it was a hit at the Edinburgh Fringe and it’s just opened at the Arcola Theatre in London. April and co-star Jazz Jenkins tell Nuala why the real drama on any night out is always to be found in the women’s toilets. And why it took an ensemble cast of five, playing no less 16 different characters between them, to capture something universal about women's lives.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Annette Wells
• New single-sex spaces guidance, Natalie Cassidy, Southport attack survivors 22.05.2026 52min

  Yesterday, the Government published guidance on how the Equality Act should be implemented in relation to single-sex spaces. This follows the landmark Supreme Court ruling in April last year that the definition of a woman under the Equality Act should be based on biological sex. According to the new guidance, single-sex spaces - such as changing rooms and toilets - must be used on the basis of biological sex. This means, for instance, that a trans woman - a biological male who identifies as a woman - should not use female toilets or changing rooms, or a trans man - a biological woman who identifies as a man - should not use men's toilets. Alison Holt, the BBC's social affairs editor, joins Anita Rani to explain the guidance. Natalie Cassidy is the actor best known for playing Sonia Fowler in the BBC soap, EastEnders. She’s also been a presenter and has a successful podcast, Life with Nat. She's now returned to the classroom to study Health and Social Care. Inspired by supporting her dad through end-of-life care at home, Natalie has enrolled to study towards a Level 3 qualification, with the aim of becoming a professional carer. She joins Anita to discuss the experience, which is documented in an eight-part BBC series, Natalie Cassidy: Caring Together.It’s been nearly two years since the attack on a group of girls at a Taylor Swift–themed dance class in Southport. Three were murdered and others seriously injured. The families of those who survived say a court order protecting their identities has also left them feeling invisible. BBC Special Correspondent Judith Moritz has been hearing about the long-term impact on their daughters, and she joins Anita.And genre-defying musician and composer Hannah Peel joins us to talk about forging her unique career, whispers of encouragement she received from Paul McCartney and her new collaboration with Chinese percussionist Beibei Wang. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Simon Richardson
• Alexis Ohanian on women's sport, Shadow banning, Malory Towers on stage, Margo from Race Across the World 21.05.2026 56min

  Best known as the co-founder of Reddit, Alexis Ohanian is now turning his focus to the future of women’s sport. Once overlooked and underfunded, it is now undergoing rapid change. Alexis is today announcing he's bringing his all-female track and field meet series, Athlos, to London. He tells Anita Rani why, and talks about being married to one of the most successful and well known sports stars of all time - Serena Williams.Some social media posts relating to menstruation, menopause, fertility and sexual health are being incorrectly flagged as 'adult content', then removed or their visibility limited - a practice described as 'shadow banning'. Charities and health professionals have signed an open letter to Meta - who own Facebook and Instagram - asking for an explanation for what they call the 'hiding' of information about women's health. Anita speaks to the BBC's Shona McCallum, the CEO of gynaecological charity The Eve Appeal Athena Lamnisos, and Tania who has personally experienced the benefit of this sort of content.The Emma Rice Company’s theatre show adaptation of Enid Blyton’s 1940s boarding school books, Malory Towers, is touring the UK. It’s the brainchild of the company’s director, Emma Rice, formerly artistic director at Shakespeare’s Globe in London. And it comes in the same year that Blyton’s series celebrates its 80th anniversary. Emma joins Anita.Margo Oakley tells Anita about her experience on the current series of the BBC TV show Race Across The World, making it to the final, and the incredible feedback she's had from audiences on her combination of optimism and vulnerability. She talks about grieving the loss of her sister Julia and coming together with her brother-in-law for this mammoth challenge.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Sarah Crawley
• Harshita Brella, England Rugby, Olivia Chaney, Lauren Elkin 20.05.2026 51min

  In November 2024 Harshita Brella's body was found in the boot of a car in Ilford, East London, approximately 100 miles away from where she lived in Corby, Northamptonshire. Now her family have arrived in the UK to appeal for renewed action by police in the stalled investigation into her death; bringing the alleged murderer to justice. Nuala McGovern is joined by Harshita’s sister Sonia Dabas and Poonam Joshi, founder of Indian Ladies UK who support Indian victims of domestic abuse.The England Rugby team now has 38 straight victories, 8 Six Nations titles, the Rugby World Cup title and a world number one ranking after their latest victory in the Six Nations yesterday. The BBC pundit Ruby Tui said they may just be the best team ever, in any sport. But is their dominance hurting the game at large? Nuala is joined by Katy Daley-McLean, who was captain of the England team when they won the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup.Folk and classical singer-songwriter Olivia Chaney has collaborated with some of the biggest names in folk music, including Shirley Collins and Richard Thompson, and her The Queen of Hearts collaborative album with the Decemberists was Grammy nominated. She discusses her current album and how it felt to have her music included in the box office hit film Wuthering Heights.Vocal Break: On Women, Music and Power is the title of the new book from Lauren Elkin. For millennia women singing were cast as sirens: mythical creatures who lured sailors to their death. But in this part memoir, part feminist manifesto, Lauren Elkin explores how women from Cyndi Lauper to feminist punk rockstar Kathleen Hanna to Beyonce have used their voices as women to defy convention, genre, capitalism, racism and sexism.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Andrea Kidd
• Dawn French, Assault in Scottish schools, BBC's Two Weeks in August 20.05.2026 57min

  Comedian, actor and writer Dawn French is best known as one half of one of the UK’s most successful comedy double acts, and as the fictional vicar Geraldine Granger. She’s also a bestselling author, and her latest book, Enough, is her fifth novel — her eighth book in total. It blends dark humour with some tougher themes she thinks are important to explore. She joins Nuala to discuss.More than 10,000 pregnant women and girls, primarily unmarried mothers, passed through mother and baby homes in Northern Ireland from the 1920s to the 1990s. Survivors have long campaigned for compensation and have criticised Stormont’s proposed redress scheme. The current bill limits compensation to the families of victims who died after 29 September 2011. Yesterday, an amendment to remove the cut-off date was not selected for debate at the Assembly. Campaigners say this excludes many women who were 'failed in life and now failed in death.' The legislation will also establish an inquiry into the institutions. Nuala is joined by BBC Ireland Correspondent Chris Page and Mechelle Dillon from the campaign group Birth Mothers and their Children for Justice.There were 35,000 assaults on staff in Scotland’s schools in the last academic year, according to a BBC investigation. New figures suggest assaults by pupils have increased by 55% in just two years. Unions say the true total is likely to be far higher, as not all incidents are recorded. Nuala is joined by the BBC education and social affairs correspondent in Scotland, Lucy Adams, who’s been investigating the issue, and Mandy MacDowell, UNISON Scotland’s education lead, which represents support staff. Two Weeks in August is a new BBC One drama series centred on a group of old university friends who reunite in Greece for what’s meant to be a relaxing holiday, but when an illicit kiss sparks escalating tensions, things unravel in unexpected, even slightly supernatural ways. Nuala is joined by its writer and creator Catherine Shepherd and one of its stars, Jessica Raine, known for Call the Midwife, Wolf Hall and The Devil’s Hour.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Dianne McGregor
• Married at First Sight allegations, Falling pupil numbers, Fibromyalgia and breast implants, Ladies loos on stage 19.05.2026 56min

  Two women have told a BBC Panorama investigation they were raped during the filming of one of Channel 4's biggest shows, Married at First Sight UK, while a third has described an allegation of a non-consensual sex act. Channel 4 has now removed all episodes of the programme from its streaming and linear services and commissioned an external review of welfare on the show. The programme makers CPL have said its welfare system was ‘gold standard’. Nuala McGovern is joined by BBC News' Lizo Mzimba and Helen Wood, Professor of Media and Cultural Studies at the University of Aston in Birmingham.Many women live with fibromyalgia for life - chronic pain, exhaustion, brain fog - with no clear cure. But some doctors say that for women with breast implants, the story may be different. Rheumatology Professor Jan Willem Cohen Tervaer from the University of Alberta explains why some patients improve after their implants are removed, and why he believes the condition of Breast Implant Illness deserves recognition from the medical community. Nuala is also joined by Professor Lynda Wyld, President Elect of the Association of Breast Surgeons in the UK to explain the position currently held by the medical profession in the UK. We discuss a new play that unfolds entirely in the ladies loos. April Hope Miller wrote and performs in ‘Flush’, it was a hit at the Edinburgh Fringe and it’s just opened at the Arcola Theatre in London. April and co-star Jazz Jenkins tell Nuala why the real drama on any night out is always to be found in the women’s toilets. And why it took an ensemble cast of five, playing no less 16 different characters between them, to capture something universal about women's lives.School closures in England may be disproportionately affecting children with special educational needs and disabilities. File on Four Investigates has been looking into this in the run up to government reforms of the SEND system, and Nuala is joined by BBC education reporter and former primary school teacher Hayley Clarke. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Helen Fitzhenry
• Weekend Woman's Hour: Loan Sharks, Menopause and ADHD, Bra fitting 16.05.2026 57min

  Women are being forced to turn to loan sharks due to a "hidden" but devastating form of economic abuse, according to new research. Scottish Women's Aid has published a study on the problem of coerced debt – where an abusive current or ex-partner builds up debt in their victim's name, either without consent or knowledge or through force, threat or coercion. Anita Rani is joined by Dr Jenn Glinski, author of the report and the national policy lead for economic abuse at Scottish Women's Aid, to talk about the report findings.Menopause can be challenging for many women, but for those with ADHD, the experience can often feel like life is completely unravelling. For some women in their 40s, 50s and 60s it can also be the first time they realise they may have ADHD, as fluctuating hormones amplify their challenges with sleep, mood, attention and overwhelm. GP and Menopause expert Dr Helen Wall joined Anita to talk about her new book Menopause and ADHD, which aims to debunk some of the myths and support women navigating the combination.A new medical device to assist at birth is now in use in eight NHS trusts in the UK and 40 hospitals in the whole of Europe. The OdonAssist can replace forceps in many situations and is a much gentler way to deliver a baby which is stuck in the birth canal. NHS Specialist registrar Dr Emily Hotton has worked on the UK clinical trials. She describes how the device works and why it can give a much better outcome for both mothers and babies.M&S has announced that following a successful trial they are ditching the measuring tape for bra fittings. Other underwear retailers have done this for years, but how does it work fitting a bra by eye? Joanna Wakefield-Scurr, Professor of Biomechanics at Portsmouth University, and virtual bra fitter Katie Weir join Nuala McGovern to discuss. Canwen Xu was born in China and moved to the US when she was two years old. She grew up in predominately white areas – North and South Dakota and Idaho. When she was 18 she gave a TEDx talk, titled, I Am Not Your Asian Stereotype, which has been watched more than 3.7 million times. Canwen joins Anita to discuss her debut novel - Boring Asian Female – and its themes of identity, ambition, failure, and obsession.Love it or dread it, flat-pack furniture tests us all. But for Hayley McAuley from Wigan, it’s a sport - she’s just defended her title as Flatpack World Champion and tells Anita about the win.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor
• Menopause and ADHD, Flatpack World Champion, Women and Crime 15.05.2026 57min

  Menopause can be challenging for many women, but for those with ADHD, the experience can often feel like life is completely unravelling. For some women in their 40s, 50s and 60s it can also be the first time they realise they may have ADHD, as fluctuating hormones amplify their challenges with sleep, mood, attention and overwhelm. GP and Menopause expert Dr Helen Wall joins Anita to talk about her new book Menopause and ADHD, which aims to debunk some of the myths and support women navigating the combination.A "cunning" and "manipulative" former imam in east London has been given a life sentence with a minimum prison term of 20 years for a series of sexual attacks on women and girls as young as 12. Abdul Halim Khan, 54, was described as having abused the trust and authority that came with his position to carry out attacks against seven victims from the local Muslim community between 2005 and 2014. Presenter Anita Rani is joined by BBC Religion editor, Aleem Maqbool, and Aisha K Gill, a professor of criminology at the University of Bristol and expert witness in the case. Love it or dread it, flat-pack furniture tests us all. But for Hayley McAuley from Wigan, it’s a sport - she’s just defended her title as Flatpack World Champion and tells presenter Anita Rani how she did it.The Government wants to change how women are sentenced, with new courts designed to keep them out of prison and stop them reoffending. Instead, women must commit to change and have regular check ins with a judge. They are called intensive supervision courts and the first is already running in Birmingham, now ministers want to roll them out more widely. We hear from Joy Doal of the women's centre Anawim, who helped set up the pilot, and criminologist Professor Simon Pemberton on whether they really work.We meet the award-winning farmer running free workshops where food starts in the field, not a packet. Milly Fyfe has just been named Farming Woman of the Year at the National Women in Agriculture Awards. Her business, Countryside Kitchen, provides free workshops to show children how to shake cream to turn it into butter and teaches them exactly where their burgers and chicken nuggets come from.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths
• Loan sharks, Social media addiction, Canwen Xu 14.05.2026 55min

  Women are being forced to turn to loan sharks due to a "hidden" but devastating form of economic abuse, according to new research. Scottish Women's Aid has published a study on the problem of coerced debt – where an abusive current or ex-partner builds up debt in their victim's name, either without consent or knowledge or through force, threat or coercion. Anita Rani is joined by Dr Jenn Glinski, author of the report and the national policy lead for economic abuse at Scottish Women's Aid, to talk about the report findings.Canwen Xu was born in China and moved to the US when she was two years old. She grew up in predominately white areas – North and South Dakota and Idaho. When she was 18 she gave a TEDx talk, titled, I Am Not Your Asian Stereotype, which has been watched more than 3.7 million times. Canwen joins Anita to discuss her debut novel - Boring Asian Female – and its themes of identity, ambition, failure, and obsession.The Government is consulting on an outright ban of social media for under-16s, as well as other measures designed to stop teenagers accessing addictive and harmful material. In March in the US, a Los Angeles jury handed down an unprecedented win for a young woman who had sued Meta and Google over her childhood addiction to social media. So, what is social media addiction and how do you identify it in children? What’s the tipping point between a ‘keen interest’ and an addiction? Anita is joined by Dr Bernadka Dubicka, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist, and Jenny Afia, a privacy and reputation lawyer for the law firm Schillings, who contributed to the UK Children’s Commissioner’s Digital Task Force.The Royal Shakespeare Company’s musical production of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind has just transferred to London’s West End. Based on the true story of 13-year-old William Kamkwamba who, in drought-stricken Malawi, and despite the lack of support from those around him, dreamt of saving his village. Anita is joined by the director Lynette Linton, and Madeleine Appiah, who plays William’s mother.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Rebecca Myatt
• VAWG Minister resignations, Parental domestic homicide, Author Eleanor Anstruther 13.05.2026 57min

  A new report out today is calling for urgent reforms to better protect and support children affected by parental domestic homicide, following an examination of the long-term impact on young people across the UK and Ireland. Reporter Jo Morris has been speaking to a woman, we are calling Katy, who experienced the unimaginable as a child, when her father killed her mother. Despite this, when he was released from prison, Katy was required to stay with him at weekends. How should children and young people be supported? Chloe Tilley is joined by Sarah Burrows from the charity Children Heard and Seen, and Professor John Devaney from the University of Edinburgh and author of the report. Two of the government ministers who resigned yesterday, Jess Phillips and Alex Davies-Jones, were responsible for the government's violence against women and girls strategy. In her resignation letter, safeguarding minister Jess Phillips highlighted the need for urgent action to combat the spread of online child sexual abuse imagery, where progress has been 'repeatedly stalled and delayed'. The government says it wants to make it 'impossible' for children in the UK to take, share or view nude images. Hannah Swirsky from the Internet Watch Foundation joins Chloe to discuss.At the height of the Cold War, women led one of the most enduring protests against nuclear weapons. What began as a march to Greenham Common became a peace camp that lasted nearly 20 years - inspiring Eleanor Anstruther’s new novel, Fallout.Presenter: Chloe Tilley Producer: Dianne McGregor
• Tracey Neville, Deep fakes and schools, Pensions 12.05.2026 55min

  In netball, once you’ve got the ball you have to pivot. It turns out that skill can be applied just as neatly to careers for Tracey Neville. The former England netball coach joins Nuala McGovern to discuss her new role as the new managing director of the Stockport County Women Football Club.A new medical device to assist at birth is now in use in eight NHS trusts in the UK and 40 hospitals in the whole of Europe. The OdonAssist can replace forceps in many situations and is a much gentler way to deliver a baby which is stuck in the birth canal. NHS Specialist registrar Dr Emily Hotton has worked on the UK clinical trials. She describes how the device works and why it can give a much better outcome for both mothers and babies.New research suggests the age of 28 is a key turning point for women’s finances. Investment platform AJ Bell says that’s when many start to fall behind on pension savings. And women retire with around 48% less wealth. Charlene Young, Senior Pensions and Savings expert at AJ Bell explains.Mina came to the UK from Iran 15 years ago. She is appearing on Channel 4’s Your Song, a new series celebrating the power of music and storytelling. Growing up where women’s voices were restricted, she learnt to sing secretly as an act of quiet rebellion. On the show, she performs a song that has followed her from childhood through exile to her new life in the UK. For Mina, this performance isn’t just personal — it’s about representing millions of women still silenced. She talks about identity, resistance, and what it means to finally reclaim her voice.An online safety group, the Early Warning Working Group, is encouraging schools across the UK to rethink how they use photographs of pupils online, amid growing fears that images taken from school websites and social media accounts are being stolen and manipulated into sexually explicit content using AI tools. Nuala speaks to Carole Osborne - a mother of two daughters who used to work in school communications. After hearing growing concerns from parents and headteachers about AI-generated abuse imagery, she decided to try to do something about it herself. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty Starkey
• Will a woman lead the UN? Play 1536, Bra fitting 11.05.2026 57min

  In its 80-year history, no woman has ever held the role of United Nations Secretary-General. The race for the job, which happens every 10 years, began in January and the candidates have recently appeared in their one and only TV debate. Four people are currently in the running, two of whom are female. But should it matter if the top job goes to a woman? Nuala McGovern discusses with Susana Malcorra, former Chief of Staff to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and founder of GWL Voices, which stands for Global Women Leaders, and Ben Donaldson, advisor to 1 For 8 Billion, a campaign group calling for an open, inclusive and merit-based selection process to appoint a woman as Secretary-General. Nuala speaks to actors Liv Hill and Tanya Reynolds, stars of the new West End play 1536. Set in Tudor England, the drama follows three young women in Essex as they grapple with the shockwaves of Anne Boleyn’s execution. Through the stories of Jane, Anna and Mariella, the play explores how events at the Royal court ripple through ordinary lives, and what the fall of a queen means for women far beyond the palace walls.It has been called 'a last ditch reset', 'a very important moment' and 'the speech of his career'. That's the speech that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is giving today as he tries to convince Labour MPs he's the right man for the job after heavy election losses last week. One of those listening is Labour backbencher Catherine West who, if still dissatisfied after hearing him, says she will send out an email and attempt to trigger a leadership contest. Meanwhile Angela Rayner put out a 1000-word statement yesterday, warning that the party’s current approach isn’t working and it needs to change. Joining Nuala to discuss what the political landscape looks like for women after the elections is BBC political correspondent Alicia McCarthy and Dr Annabel Mullin, Director of communications at Elect Her, an organisation that works to get women into elected office. M&S have announced that following a successful trial they are ditching the measuring tape for bra fittings. Other underwear retailers have done this for years, but how does it work fitting a bra by eye? Nuala is joined by Joanna Wakefield-Scurr, Professor of Biomechanics at Portsmouth University, and virtual bra fitter Katie Weir.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Andrea Kidd